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Chapter 28
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The Hybrid Mate Chapter 29
It became a chant, something to time Bella’s footfalls to. She heard the creature running behind her and knew it would overtake her again if her prayers weren’t answered soon. The horrible sounds seemed to get closer with each step she took. Bella ran down a small hill into an area that looked promising enough and ran with all her might. Just before she came to the bottom, she heard twigs snapping and branches rustling. She was forced to stop as the sound was right in front of her. A second later, it was far to the right. As impossibly fast as the movement was, it had to be a human. The pattern of footsteps was too familiar. The only human who would be out in the woods so late was either a park ranger or a psycho. Considering what was pursuing her, she decided to take her chances. “Help!” she screamed, stumbling through the particularly thick brush. The entire area was impossible to move in, although it had looked deceptively clear from the top of the hill.
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 30
Her flesh was bruised and torn all over from tripping and falling in the brush. She had stopped blacking out, but her head wasn’t throbbing anymore. Pain had been replaced by fullness, and it felt like she was experiencing the world through a thick layer of fog. She knew enough about the human brain to know that both sensations were more concerning than pain. A scream pierced the deceptive calm of the forest. A man’s scream.She huddled up in a ball and covered her ears, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the shrieks of agony that followed.As suddenly as the screams had begun, they stopped. She knew what that meant. If she did somehow survive to tell her story, she doubted that the park rangers would find a trace of the man with the golden fangs. It was a joke to think she would survive, and she knew it. The beast would surely find her; it was only a matter of time. A bloodthirsty creature that size wouldn’t be satisfied by a single meal.The question wasn’
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 31
Bella strained to lift her head, but her vision turned into a dangerous haze. She let her head fall back onto the pillow and settled for listening. “He’d better. At least I pick convenient times to disappear.” “Let’s hope this isn’t like one of your trips.” Clara gave an exasperated sigh. “There isn’t enough time as it is. Bella deserves to know what’s going to happen to her.” That didn’t sound good. Maybe she really was dying.“I know. I’ll take care of it.” “But he’s Darian’s—” “Do you see Darian anywhere around here?” Victor snapped. The next instant, he gave an apologetic sigh. “I’m sorry, Clara. I know you’re just as exhausted as I am.” “It’s alright. Just be careful. She needs to be eased into this as gently as possible before the harvest moon. If Darian isn’t here to do it, at least go slowly.” “I will. After what she saw in the woods the other day, I’m sure it’s not going to be an easy conversation.”
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 32
“No,” Bella cried sharply, willing herself into an upright position. The room was beginning to tilt on its side, but Victor seemed strangely unaffected. “That can’t be true.” She clutched her head in her hands and tried to stop the memories of the beast ripping the man’s arm off his body like it was nothing. A warm hand pressed down on her shoulder, steadying her through the wave of vertigo. “I’m sorry to be blunt, but there’s no easy way with this kind of thing,” Victor said in a gentler tone. “Unfortunately, even if there was, we don’t have time for that now thanks to my brother’s recklessness.” “That thing wasn’t him,” Bella cried. “You’re lying. He would never do that. Darian would never hurt me.” “Hurt you, no. If he had wanted to hurt you the other night, you wouldn’t be here, at least not in one piece. As for the ‘man’ you saw in the woods, he really did want to hurt you. I imagine he would have tortured you a hundred times over if he’d
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 33
When Bella woke up the next morning, Victor was still in his chair reading a different book. His presence made it impossible for her to have even a few moments of blissful ignorance about the horrible truths she had learned the night before. There was no escaping them, or him. She felt like she had been hit by a train and partly wished she had. At least she could sit up. “Easy,” he said, grabbing her shoulders to steady her. “I’m fine.” It was a lie, but there was some truth to it. Her entire body ached worse than ever, but her head was clearer than it had been in a long time. She wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse, but it did feel as if some kind of partition had been removed in her mind. It was a clarity that provided her the opportunity to look back at all the hints she had missed about Darian and his odd family, and to marvel at her own stupidity. “You don’t look fine. You were tossing and turning all night.” “Bad dreams,” she mutter
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 34
He laughed. "I wouldn't call them clients. I get paid to run the dungeon, working in it is for pleasure. Come on." He knelt down on one knee in front her.Bella watched him warily. "What are you doing?""Get on my back," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm going to carry you downstairs."“She’s not riding you like a horse. You said we were going for a walk.”"We are. I just don't think you can manage the stairs right now. I'd carry you in my arms, but I thought you might prefer this."“I’d prefer to walk.” “Suit yourself,” Victor said, standing. He opened the door and they started down the hall. Fortunately, Bella didn't hear anyone else roaming about. She still wasn't sure she was ready to face the rest of the Wolf Pack after her meltdown and almost getting killed in the woods. If they didn’t think she was looking for an insurance claim, they definitely thought she was cursed.Victor opened the door and Bella squinted against the light. It felt good, b
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 35
He pondered my question for a moment and gazed up through the ivy-covered lattice overhead. The sun's rays streamed through, warm and cleansing. Enough time passed that it seemed like he wasn't going to answer. Finally, he spoke. "I guess I just realized that self-control was the only thing that separated us from them. If I let that go, I would have nothing." He looked over at Harper. "Not that I'm a paragon of self-control myself, as you saw in that dream. I let my temper get the best of me from time to time, but it doesn't control me. Not anymore. My brother, on the other hand, holds it all in until—” "Until he goes berserk.” "Exactly." "And that's what happened? You're sure?" Bella needed it to be the truth, but she was afraid to believe. As horrifying as the thought of Darian being out there slaughtering vampires was, it was less troubling than thinking he had just abandoned her for no reason. She knew it made her selfish and pathetic, but it was her
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 36
Bella would have put up more of a fight, but the pain was so intense that even if the vial held fatal poison, it would be an improvement. In the best case scenario, maybe the red-tinted serum really would help. Reluctantly, she rolled up her sleeve and held out her left arm since it was accustomed to pain, anyway. Ulric's gaze was unexpectedly apologetic, but it darkened when he saw Bella's scars. His Adam’s apple bobbed, but he kept whatever thoughts he had to himself. "I'm sorry, but this has to go directly into her jugular vein." “Of course it does,” Bella muttered. "At least let me hold her,” said Victor. "Fine." Victor pulled Bella onto his lap, and she buried her face in his shirt. His scent was just as comforting as Darian’s, and her apprehension faded with his touch, even though she knew he was only stroking her hair to uncover her neck. She was too exhausted to care if Ulric saw those scars, too. The Alpha’s growl made Bella
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